Jesus, Fact or Fiction_
Teachers
Lesson Summary
The class began with an imaginative scenario, asking the congregation to picture a secular bookstore and decide where the Bible and the story of Jesus would be placed—among mythic fantasy or factual history. Teacher Richard Sutton explained that the answer hinges on three core truths about Christ: His earthly life, His sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection. He anchored the discussion in Romans 1:1‑6, pointing out that verse three identifies Jesus as a descendant of David, confirming His biological lineage, while the surrounding verses outline the Gospel’s purpose and our response. Sutton then reinforced the historicity of Jesus by referencing the genealogies in Matthew, the extra‑biblical testimony of the first‑century historian Flavius Josephus, and the consistency of the New Testament narrative. He posed three probing questions—Did Jesus really exist? Did He truly die? Did He rise?—and guided listeners toward a confident “yes.” The lesson concluded with a call to place Jesus firmly in the nonfiction aisle of our lives, affirming that the Gospel is grounded in real people and events, not merely myth or legend. Church announcements about a new coffee bar, an Acapella in the Park event, and a summer picnic rounded out the session.
Key Scriptures
For I am eagerly waiting for the coming of God our Savior and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people who are His own, zealous for good deeds.